Influence of Front Structure on Compatibility between Sedan and SUV in Oblique Crash

This study aimed at investigating that how the vehicle front structures influence compatibility in oblique crash. The Crush-Work Stiffness (KW400) and Average Height of Force 400 (AHOF400) were selected to evaluate front structure characteristics for better matching of stiffness and geometry height in oblique collisions. The validated FE models of a sedan and a SUV were used to simulate the oblique crashes. Based on the simulations, the crash compatibility was investigated in 30 degrees left offset oblique collisions within different AHOF400 and KW400 matches. The intrusion to the sedan was chosen as the index for evaluating compatibility performance. Through the analysis of the simulation results, it was found that the influence is discrepant under different overlap ratio in oblique crash. The KW400 influences compatibility much more than the AHOF400 does. Furthermore, a better way to evaluate geometry characteristic in oblique collisions should be established to help improving compatibility in this crash configuration.